You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than 12:01am Sunday, January 28). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” The year is 1918 in South Carolina during the first world war. The people involved are Julia, Herman, their neighbors and Herman's family. The dramatic situation the characters find themselves in is dealing with Julia living with a white man.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students. The intrusion that breaks the stasis of the play is Herman getting sick.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? This is Julia's first day in her new home and the day Herman gets sick.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.) The questions that must be answered are, will Herman live? Can Julia and Herman have a happy ending? Will Julia eventually move again?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play. Julia wants to marry Herman and not be judged. Me against society. She has moved several times because she couldn't take the criticism. She also wants to prove to the women and Nelson that she can love a white man and he love her just as they love. Often times the characters such as Nelson forced her to explain how she could love a white man after all white people have done. Or had could he possible love Julia when they see black people beneath them. This is me against individuals.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band. The most theatrical moment was at the beginning of the play when Julia meets the other women. From that moment, we learned Julia didn't want people in her house for a specific reason. She was a generous person. She never stayed in one place long. Another theatrical moment was when Julia and Herman celebrate their 10 year anniversary. There we learn why Julia moves so much and how much their love means to each other.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
Herman and Julia blowing out the candles. This image really shows that it is just the two of them. They are by themselves singing together and they are all each other has.
The row of houses. This shows how Julia's house is the one nicer than the two next to hers. Perhaps that shows she's at a higher standing than those around her or maybe the writer wanted to make it seem that because someone white was living their too, it had to be better than the rest.
The wedding band. This showed how much the actual feeling of being married to Herman meant to Julia. She wanted a ring that was given to her by him. Herman thought the wedding band was unnecessary and that showed how content he is with just being with Julia.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band. The most important theme in this play was racism, but there are other themes of gender, economic status and class standing.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
Herman's family relationships played a huge role in the dramatic action in Wedding Band. Herman's mother is what made Julia snap and go through a new character development almost. She began speaking down about white people, even Herman.
DEADLINE: Please complete all of your work on this play by Sunday January 28 on or before 12:01am.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The year is 1918 in South Carolina during the first world war. The people involved are Julia, Herman, their neighbors and Herman's family. The dramatic situation the characters find themselves in is dealing with Julia living with a white man.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
The intrusion that breaks the stasis of the play is Herman getting sick.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is Julia's first day in her new home and the day Herman gets sick.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The questions that must be answered are, will Herman live? Can Julia and Herman have a happy ending? Will Julia eventually move again?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
Julia wants to marry Herman and not be judged. Me against society. She has moved several times because she couldn't take the criticism. She also wants to prove to the women and Nelson that she can love a white man and he love her just as they love. Often times the characters such as Nelson forced her to explain how she could love a white man after all white people have done. Or had could he possible love Julia when they see black people beneath them. This is me against individuals.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
The most theatrical moment was at the beginning of the play when Julia meets the other women. From that moment, we learned Julia didn't want people in her house for a specific reason. She was a generous person. She never stayed in one place long. Another theatrical moment was when Julia and Herman celebrate their 10 year anniversary. There we learn why Julia moves so much and how much their love means to each other.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
Herman and Julia blowing out the candles. This image really shows that it is just the two of them. They are by themselves singing together and they are all each other has.
The row of houses. This shows how Julia's house is the one nicer than the two next to hers. Perhaps that shows she's at a higher standing than those around her or maybe the writer wanted to make it seem that because someone white was living their too, it had to be better than the rest.
The wedding band. This showed how much the actual feeling of being married to Herman meant to Julia. She wanted a ring that was given to her by him. Herman thought the wedding band was unnecessary and that showed how content he is with just being with Julia.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
The most important theme in this play was racism, but there are other themes of gender, economic status and class standing.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
Herman's family relationships played a huge role in the dramatic action in Wedding Band. Herman's mother is what made Julia snap and go through a new character development almost. She began speaking down about white people, even Herman.
DEADLINE: Please complete all of your work on this play by Sunday January 28 on or before 12:01am.